Non-ferrous metals

The core of the lead-zinc mining industry consists in the pyrite-polymetallic deposits of the ore basin of Altai, developed by the Kazzinc JSC. Among the prospects of developing the small and medium businesses is their involvement in developing major deposits: Chekmar, Novoleninogorsky in the east, zhairem, Bestube in the central Kazakhstan, Shalkiya and Talap in the south, where over 40% of the national polymetallic reserves are. Over the last few years the development of zinc-rich deposit of Shaimerden has been launched in the northern Kazakhstan. Kazakhmys Corporation conducts copper ore mining and copper production at the deposits of central and eastern Kazakhstan. Copper reserves of the long-developed fields (Zhezkazganskoye, Orlovskoye, Nikolayevskoye) are gradually depleting. At the same time, the nation is fully prepared to maintain sufficient production rates and further development of the mineral portfolio of the copper ore industry. For replacement of the development capacity of the eastern region, the following fields are being developed: Artemyevskoye, Abyz, Kosmuroui, Akbastau, Nurkazgan copper-porphyry field with high-quality ores in the central region, Shatyrkol deposit in the south, and one of Kazakhstan’s largest cupriferous sandstone deposits, Zhaman-Aibat in the Zhezkazgan ore mining district. Significant nationwide potential is contained within the largest copper-porphyry deposits of Aktogai, Aidardy, Koksai and Bozshakolskoye. Development of these deposits is contingent upon, first of all, finding the technological solutions that would allow an economically feasible development of low-grade ores.

Favorable conditions for the copper-zinc development are created in the western Kazakhstan, where a new ore mining production complex is expected to be constructed on the basis of the discovered copper-pyrite deposits (50 let oktyabrya, Kundyzdy, Priorskoye, etc.).

In order to renew the mineral portfolio and find new deposits of non-ferrous metals, mining companies of the major mining regions, both at their own expense and by virtue of an agreement with the Committee for Geology and Subsoil Use, have started exploratory activities. Annual growth of reserves is achieved mainly by means of additional exploration of deposit flanks and deep layers of the known deposits, and through exploration and assessment efforts sponsored by the national budget as part of the «Program for developing the resource base of the mineral complex of the country for 2010–2014», adopted by the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.